Elections in Terrakristovia
As a Representative Democracy, every voting member of government in Terrakristovia is elected by citizens. This rule is true on both levels of government; federal and local. Until 2001, no federal elections were held, and Terrakristovia existed in a state of provisional governance. Since that time, two Chancellorial elections have been held and countless local and Ministerial elections. Process Similarities and differences exist between three distinct levels of government: local, Ministerial, and Chancellorial. All three types are regulated by the Ministry of Democracy. The following are features common to Kristovian elections in general, then a description of unique features to each voting level by type. Except in cases of extraordinary circumstances, the sanctioned Kristovian voting day is the weekend day (either Saturday or Sunday) closest to January 6th. Before voting, citizens must be registered in the local area in which they live in a registry. Polls open at 7am and close at 7pm (or 8am and 8pm for citizens in the eastern time zone). The Ministry has set a national goal for all results to be announced by midnight. Citizens gathered in a designated voting site at the opening of the polls must gather in a single room and take a mass oath, called the Oath of Integrity. This Oath traces its roots to pre-Esperian times, during the Anjaami occupation. Citizens who swear the Oath of Integrity affirm the sacrosanct nature of the act of voting, and to their fidelity to the principals of the state. The language of the Oath has changed over time to include affirmation of legal voting status (as the standards regulating suffrage have changed). In addition, some alledge traces of Voktoist rhetoric can be found in the Oath since Terrakristovia's establishment. Since the claims have gained popularity, Senator Doevke has alluded to them, but is yet to endorse legislation addressing the issue. After the initial round of voters are sworn to the Oath, citizens thereafter are not required to take it. It is assumed citizens casting their ballots after the formal Oath has concluded meet the requirements for voting. Each must present their state-issued Voter Identification Card prior to voting, which is revoked if a citizen's voting status is revoked for any reason (See section below: Restrictions). The Oath stands as a traditional, cerimonial gesture. 'Local' Compared with Ministerial or Chancellorial elections, local elections in Terrakristovia are loosely regulated. This is because elections such as those for Mayor or City Council are not federal offices. Because of this, the Ministry of Democracy grants local elections sweeping autonomy over their voting process. In addition, there is no uniform government model among cities. A vast variation of local government models have developed since Anjaami times. Law according to the Ministry of Democracy encourages local governments to accomodate for the Kristovian Bloc system in some form or another. Typically this is done by incorporating blocs into the local election by one means or another. In smaller towns (where blocs are typically organized by District), bloc activities may be allowed in local elections, typically if the majority of members of a particular bloc reside in the city's limits. In more populous cities (where cities and their suburbs are large enough to organize their blocs by city), only blocs established in that particular city may be involved in that city's political activities, regardless if that bloc falls in the same District. The distinction exists to balance the proportional representation of blocs as a unit with the principal of "one vote, one voice" on an individual level. 'Ministerial' The following is a standard voting process in elections for a federal Ministry seat: #After candidates have declared which Ministry to run under, a straw poll is conducted by Ministry of Democracy two to three months before voting day to gague which Ministries a sizable proportion of the voting population (usually around 30%) would vote a candidate into, based on the total amount of support potential candidates collectively poll at. Ministry seats which poll below the benchmark are closed for candidacy. This process is conducted at a District level. *Since the Kristovian federal government uses staggered terms for their Ministers, Ministry seats not up for election in a given year will not be a part of the poll. Instead, sitting Ministers are subject to retention polls limited to members blocs registered as under that Ministry's area of focus. For example, a sitting Minister from the Ministry of Education would need to pass retention (50% approval rating) among the blocs in the District they were elected from which have educational reform as part of their stated mission. If a Minister fails to pass retention, their seat will become vacant once the new wave of Ministers have been sworn into office. : 2. Seats established, the Ministry of Democracy uses the data from the straw poll to fund candidates in proportion to their popular support. Candidates who receive under a certain benchmark of bloc support are not funded at all. : 3. Ministers are elected on election day using a system of instant run-off voting. A singular candidate is chosen to serve a three-year term. A candidate for Minister still needs to have proven expertise in the area relating to their Ministry of choice before running as a candidate for that Ministry. This provision has survived Sen. Doevke's reforms to the Civil Service Doctrine. Chancellorial Elections for Chancellor occur every six years in Terrakristovia. Originally, these elections were planned to occur every four years, but failing to meet the Bloc Quota as scheduled forced the government to delay elections until the Quota was finally lifted in 2000. Since the provisional government lasted six years, Chancellorial terms were thus set at six years. The election process for Chancellor is similar to that of a Ministry position, with a few adaptions made for the pan-Ministerial nature, and prestige of the position, and the fact that it is the only position of government voted on by citizens across all Districts. As of 2013, there is no requirement for candidates for Chancellor to have working experience in the federal bureacracy or legislature. The following is a typical representation of an ideal Chancellorial election: #Instead of a straw poll, a Grand Convention is held. Respesentatives from all registered blocs across Terrakristovia are invited to endorse a candidate. From those potential candidates, a list of official candidates is drawn from candidates who receive a certain proportion of bloc endorsements. #Regardless of how many blocs endorsed a candidate, all legitimate candidates are given a fixed amount of campaign funds from the federal government. This amount is nominal. The majority of a candidate's funds is expected to be raised through blocs. As of 2012, virtually all campaign funding restrictions have been lifted. Citizens, foreigners, bloc members, and non-bloc members are allowed to contribute whatever amount of funding they see fit. #Through popular vote, candidates are gradually narrowed down by a system of exhaustive voting, in which the candidate who polls the lowest is eliminated and additional rounds of voting are conducted until a singular winner is declared. Additional rounds of voting are held on subsequent weekends on the day the initial election was held. For example, if the national voting day fell on a Sunday, each subsequent round of voting would occur on a Sunday. The 2013 voting cycle is notable for being disrupted by the failing health of sitting Chancellor, Kristavo Vokto. Restrictions The following are a list of prerequisites needed for each citizen before being granted a Voter Identification Card. The card is revoked upon violation of one or more criteria, but may be reinstated, depending on circumstance. *Citizen must be 20 years of age or older *Citizen must have lived in Terrakristovia for three years prior to voting *Citizen must have lived in their District for one full year prior to voting (local and Ministerial elections only) *Citizen must have never been convicted of voter fraud *Citizen must have never been convicted of high treason or espionage *Citizen must have had no illegal substance consumption/possession/distribution violations for three years prior to voting *Citizens must have had no triple repeat offenses of the same crime, if that crime is a federal crime *Citizen must be fluent in Esperanto and demonstrate a proficiency in a language test prior to first time registration *Citizen cannot be currently incarcerated